NEED HELP! - UPDATED - A New Budgie! - The Problem About it

[RioTheBudgie]

EDIT: Here are the photos of Rio close-up (I tried my best with getting close. Hope it's good enough):



Before I get to the thread, I apologise for being inactive for a while, I forgot about the website

Just recently, my mother was having a bad day, so she decided to go to a pet store to look at animals. She saw a really calm and social budgie and thought it would be perfect for my budgie, Rio, to calm him down. She bought the budgie (without my consent or any research done), name him/her 'Reka' (for the Eureka Flag) and showed me. I was hesitant about a new budgie but I decided to give him/her a go. We put it in Rio's cage, hoping for a friendship to appear, but Rio became very territorial. He didn't allow this new budgie to eat, drink, play or even fly in his cage. Rio would often approach Reka and start to nibble on Reka's wings, tail or body and then would start 'bite' Reka and fight him/her off. Reka would fight back by warning Rio with an inaccurate bite and Rio would fly away. Ever since when we let Reka into the cage, they both have disliked each other, usually fighting for food or a toy.

Is this normal?
Should I buy a new cage for Reka and put them next to each other to interact with each other?
Is this fighting temporary?

I have some photos and videos of Rio and Reka fighting and avoiding each other linked below:








Avoidance:



Fighting:



More Avoidance:

[helenmat]

It’s a bit late for this but you should have kept the new Budgie separate in quarantine before you put them together for a few weeks. So they would have been in separate rooms in separate cages. Then you slowly bring the cages together and allow the birds to interact through the bars. Then when confident you can let them out together but maybe sleep separate. I think your existing bird is simply shocked that this new bird has arrived and you have rushed it. It is natural that budgies squabble and some will get on and some won’t. Your video wasn’t really a fight just one seeing the other off. If you feel happier separating them do it. You didn’t say how long your Budgie has been on it’s own? Also give two food dishes if you can, not many budgies like to share food.

[RioTheBudgie]

Feb 26, 2018 11:44:56 GMT helenmat said:

It’s a bit late for this but you should have kept the new Budgie separate in quarantine before you put them together for a few weeks. So they would have been in separate rooms in separate cages. Then you slowly bring the cages together and allow the birds to interact through the bars. Then when confident you can let them out together but maybe sleep separate. I think your existing bird is simply shocked that this new bird has arrived and you have rushed it. It is natural that budgies squabble and some will get on and some won’t. Your video wasn’t really a fight just one seeing the other off. If you feel happier separating them do it. You didn’t say how long your Budgie has been on it’s own? Also give two food dishes if you can, not many budgies like to share food.

Thank you for your response!

They have been together for about 30 hours. I will definitely get a new food tray for Reka so they aren't sharing. Should I also be getting another water tray and treat?

[helenmat]

Just food should be ok although if you give treats it might be a good idea to give two. The reason you quarantine is to prevent your new bird bringing in illness and contagious infections. Hopefully all will be well for you.

[Marianne Marlow]

Which Budgie is Rio and which is Reka?

[Marianne Marlow]

I think the issue is that each budgie had no time to get used to the other.

New budgie should have been in a cage by itself for a while rather than thrust into Rio's territory.

I can't see proper close ups of ceres, but they might both also be hens, which compounds the issue of territory!

[Hezz]

Get another cage and give them both back their space for the time being. With two birds you are going to need a bigger cage anyway. Two seed pots are a necessity, some swings and run the perches front to back to give them more room to fly back and forth.

[RioTheBudgie]

Feb 26, 2018 17:22:42 GMT Marianne Marlow said:

Which Budgie is Rio and which is Reka?

Rio is the green and gold one, Reka is the snowy-white one

[RioTheBudgie]

Feb 26, 2018 17:24:14 GMT Marianne Marlow said:

I think the issue is that each budgie had no time to get used to the other.

New budgie should have been in a cage by itself for a while rather than thrust into Rio's territory.

I can't see proper close ups of ceres, but they might both also be hens, which compounds the issue of territory!

Rio is male and I think (not entirely sure) that Reka is also male, only due to the cere. Reka's chirp sounds female. Can't be sure

[helenmat]

How long have you had Rio? They both look like hens to me, can you get a close up?

[Hezz]

Reka is definitely a female. As Helen has said, a photo of Rio closer-up may determine that she is actually a she.

[RioTheBudgie]

Feb 27, 2018 19:28:48 GMT Hezz said:

Reka is definitely a female. As Helen has said, a photo of Rio closer-up may determine that she is actually a she.

I have added the photos to the post

[RioTheBudgie]

Feb 27, 2018 7:54:10 GMT helenmat said:

How long have you had Rio? They both look like hens to me, can you get a close up?

I have added to new pictures of Rio for you to look at

[Marianne Marlow]

Yes, they both look like girls to me.

[RioTheBudgie]

Feb 28, 2018 10:45:48 GMT Marianne Marlow said:

Yes, they both look like girls to me.

Wow! Here's me thinking that they were all boys! This is some big news! Thanks for telling me this!